Secrets
by TanjaBrennan
Summary: The story starts right after Brennan heard her fathers' voice on her answering machine. She's torn between following her fathers' wish and finally finding out what really happened. But just when she starts to bond again with her brother, she gets called
1. Chapter 1 But what now ?

„Temperance, stop looking for me..." said the voice on the answering machine for the 50th time. She just couldn't stop listening to the tape. Russ fell asleep long ago and Booth had left shortly after midnight. Temperance went to bed shortly after Russ as well, but as soon as she closed her eyes, she saw everything again. The remains of her mother, the murder weapon, with which her mothers' life was taken and McWicker, who was simply disgusting to her. „My father is alive." she thought. Within one week she learned what had happened to her mother and that against all expectations her father was still alive. But was she relieved ?

On the one hand she was glad that he was still alive, but why had he never contacted her before and waited until she started researching ? Why hadn't he gotten her out of foster care ? „Who is my father actually?" she asked herself. „I thought he has been a teacher for my whole life, but he was a bank robber. He changed our names when Russ was 7 years old and I was too young to remember anything."

The fact that Russ didn't tell her anything about that for so long, had been a shock for her. He, who she used to trust the most, who seemed to be the only one left of her family, disappointed her again. She felt betrayed. Just the same as when Russ had left her behind right after christmas. Temperance has been ignoring every of her brothers' attempts to contact her. Too deep was the pain he had caused her back then. She had learned to avoid every relationship that could cause her pain, but afterwards she felt sorry for not giving Russ a second chance.

„But what now?...I can't just stop looking for my dad. Not before I know what happened 15 years ago and why he never returned to Russ and me. Booth would probably support me, but Russ ...? He doesn't seem to be bothered by not knowing why our parents disappeared...if I think about it now, he never said anything about continuing our search. Is he still hiding anything from me? .."

The sound of someone toddling towards her disrupted her thoughts. A moment after Russ' face appeared in the door frame.

„Can't sleep?" he asked her still a little bit sleepy. Then he noticed the flashing answering machine. „ You listened to it again." he already said that almost reproachful.

Temperance put her cup, which she had in her hands all the time, on the counter. „ Yes, I did."

Russ pulled up a chair and sat down opposite her. „Tempe you have to stop with this...please.." he took her hand. „he surely didn't ask us to stop looking for him for no reason. I don't want anything bad to happen to you. Mom got killed, Dad never contacted us again. There has to be a reason, Tempe. It's just too dangerous."

She closed her eyes. „ I know,...I would just like to be certain about it...I want to know what happened. Who were our parents...what.." she hesitated.

„NO!" interrupted Russ „No, we won't go on with this! Promise me! We'll follow Dads' instructions!"

Temperance was startled by the intensity of his outburst. And suddenly she was the little sister again, who has to listen to her older brother. She nodded her head. „Ok." she almost whispered it. Russ seemed to relax again. „Good". He was looking at her with a more gentle look.

„I think I'd better go to bed now..." she said quietly after a while and stood up. „Good night" Russ answered, whose voice didn't seem to have anything to do with his outburst just a few minutes ago.

When Temperance closed the door to her bedroom she leaned against the door for a moment. Her brother took her by surprise the second time this week. She was so astonished that she didn't understand anything anymore. This stern angry look in his eyes had intimidated her. Exactly like when she still had been 15 years old.

„It's late, we're probably only overtired." She told herself when she sank into the bed. The alarm on the bedside table showed 3:48 o'clock. Two minutes later Temperance Brennan had fallen asleep.

Russ instead didn't sleep...at half past 4, when he was sure that his sister was finally sleeping, he pulle dout his mobile from his bag. He dialed and already after one ring the person on the other end was answering.

„What is it?" asked a deep male voice.

„I have some problems here. It's possible that I need more time than expected." said Russ

„Problems? You will have real problems if you don't bring me the next delivery in time. Understood ?! I don't care what kind of problems you have. Be in time. You don't want to know what will happen if you fail, are we clear ?!" shouted the man.

Russ didn't want to let himself be intimidated by him, but his knees turned to jelly. „Alright" he answered with a trembling voice.

It was silent on the other end for a moment. Then the man was speaking with a more calm voice. „Good". Then he ended the call.

Russ was standing with trembling legs in the living room of his sister. He still could not believe how he got involved in this...


	2. Chapter 2 Travel arrangements

Travel arrangements in another way

First one of her pants, than a thick pullover landed on Temperance' bed, where already other clothes towered up. On the floor of her bedroom lay an opened suitcase, in which a computer and a pack of books found their place. Temperance ran her fingers through her hair indecisively. She was standing in front of an absolute mess and looked morose at the laundry mountain on her bed, which she planned to put in her suitcase. The last time she had not been on vacation to identify remains, had been a family vacation. She had plunged into work since the disappearance of her parents, no matter if she was on vacation or if it had been a public holiday. When Russ suggested to go to a mountain cabin, she agreed within a second, but she had no idea what to expect not to mention what to do the entire day. Booth had not been very enthusiastic when she told him about her plans, but in the end he agreed that she needed some time off. She was a nervous wreck after all those events and new facts who took her by surprise after some remains in the Jeffersonian were identified as her mother. There was just a little straw missing that would break the camel's back and Temperance would be close to a mental breakdown.

"How is the packing going ?" Booth appeared in the door with two glasses of ice tea in his hands. "Wow", he said when he saw the chaos on the bed. Temperance gave him a warning glance. "You don't go to the mountains very often, do you ?" asked Booth with a smile. Temperance crossed her arms. "Well, I usually go on holiday to work and statistically there are less remains found in the mountains as in the cities or even in the desert. Sometimes the bodies even get frozen in the mountains over the winter and don't defrost before summer. But that depends on the height of the place where the remains are and how deep they're buried in the ground and..."

"Oookay, I got it." Booth interrupted, for which he earned an irritated look from Temperance. He gave her one of the glasses and surrounded the sitcase one time. The look on his face changed from amused to understanding and in the end to critical. "Anthropological studies on the oldest cultures of the world? Biological evidence for the Neandertal as the ancestor of Homo Sapiens ? Oh and this is my favorite" he took one of the books out of the suitcase. "How do I win the jury – from lawyers for witnesses" Booth said while holding the book up with a grin on his face. "You read such books ?...when you're on vacation ?"

Temperance put the glass down on the dresser behind her and went about to get the book back from Booth. "That's for work!" she said while she made a few steps towards Booth, who side stepped. "I usually don't have time to read them and I planned on doing so for a long time now!"

Now she was standing where Booth stood before and he was on the other side of the suitcase, because he sidestepped again while fidgeting triumphantly with the book. Temperance was laughing. "This is so childish!" But Booth just grinned even more. "But it's fun!" he said.

Temperance jumped around the suitcase towards Booth, who took flight immediately of course. They were running around in a circle like this for a few times, whereby both had to stop once in a while to recover their breath. But Temperance surprised Booth when she spontaneously changed the direction and ran directly into him. As she tried to pull the book out of Booths' hands, she still had that much swing that she practically knocked him down and he, who didn't expect that, lost his balance. Both landed on her bed. They were laughing and Booth wrapped his arms around her.

But after a moment Temperance embarrassedly averted his gaze. She didn not just land on her bed, but right on top of Booth. He noticed it, let go of her and took the book, which had landed at the top end of the bed after their collision. With the words "That's what you wanted" he handed the book to her.

Temperance cleared her throat and sat up again. "I wanted the book, not..." she pointed at him at the bed. Booths' grin became even wider, while she stood up again and looked away insecurely. She put the book back in her suitcase and reached for the ice tea on the dresser. Booth now got up as well and approached her.

"I think it's better if I go now, otherwise you'll never finish packing." he said with a wink.

"Seems so" she answered and removed a strand of hair out of her face. Booth indicated to hug her but decided not to do so when he rememered the embarrassing situation just one minute ago. They said goodbye with a formal handshake instead, which did not occur to them less odd.

"Relax" Booth said gently and looked directly into her eyes. She nodded. "And I don't mean by expanding your knowledge, ok ?" Anxiety was shown in his look. He knew how much she had to deal with lately and how good she was at hiding it if she was not okay at all.

"I know" she answered calmly and smiled.

Booth turned around and went for the door of her appartement. "By the way, I would bring a rain jacket!"

After she had closed the door behind him, she brought the glasses in the kitchen and went back to the bedroom to finish packing. But there was only one more pullover in the suitcase before Temperance sighed and sat down on the bed. "What was that?"


	3. Chapter 3 Confusion

**Chapter 3 -**** Confusion**

"What was that? " Booth thought as he got in the car. He turned the ignition key, buckled up and stepped on the gas without thinking about it. He had no idea what this had been about. _Was Bones more than just his partner and friend?_ _No, no…surely not. This could not be true. He had only wanted to make her laugh, to build her up, that was all….wasn't it?_

The horn of one of the cars behind him pulled Booth out of his thoughts. He had been mentally absent that much that he had blocked the overtaking lane the whole time and had made pretty every driver angry, who wanted to overtake him. As he was only driving 70 km/h it were a lot. He hurried to set the indicator and changed the lane.

The entire thing was already embarrassing enough, but to be a traffic block as an FBI agent? Something like that had never happened to him before.

But the enforced attention didn't stop his mind to start thinking about the incidents in Temperance's apartment again….

"Are you sure you have everything?" Russ took Temperance' suitcase.

"Yes." Replied Brennan patiently.

"Notebook, towels, sweaters…?" Russ continued nevertheless.

"Yes, yes, yes!" she answered a little impatiently now.

"And sun lotion? The sun is much stronger at this time of the year as you think."

Brennan stopped in the middle of the floor. "Russ! I'm not a little kid anymore! Believe me, I have everything I need. "

Russ grinned. „Ok Tempe, if you think so. In case you still need something, there are a few stops on the way." He said and went towards the garage.

Brennan knew exactly that it was fun for him to banter her. He used to do it when they have been kids and although she would never have admitted it to him, it calmed her that her brother seemed to not have changed at least in a few aspects. She had been afraid he might be like a stranger to her after all those years, but somehow he still was the same big brother like 15 years ago.

Russ also took her bag away after he had loaded the suitcase in the jeep.

"You still have to go to the toilet?" he asked and raised one eyebrow critically.

Temperance rolled her eyes. "No". She opened the door of the passenger's side and got in the car.

"Good, if you're sure." Russ said with a questioning undertone and got in as well.

He turned on the radio, drove out of the garage of Temperance's building and drove in direction of the highway. It would be a long ride to the lake. But he loved this place. Their parents had bought a little hut next to the water ages ago to have a place outside the city to go to.

He had been there every year after the disappearance of their parents. If Temperance still remembered the hut? He had told her that they would be going to the lake, but had remained still on where they were spending their time exactly.

They only talked about unimportant things during the journey and Russ felt that something was bothering his sister. But if he knew something about her, it was that interrogating her wasn't helping.

"And how is it? "Sounded Angela's voice out of Brennan's phone.

Brennan stood a few meters away from the fire that Russ had set on. Both of them had arrived at the hut one hour ago. She had remembered this place immediately, although it was ages ago that she had spent weekends with her family here.

It surprised her that the wood hut was still in good condition, but she suspected Russ to have driven here often and have repaired things.

"It's amazing here. So quiet and peaceful. Almost too perfect!" Brennan replied and looked around again. It was becoming dark slowly and she could see the sun going down behind the lake.

"It was really a good idea to come here."

"Hey Sweetie, it almost sounds like you like a holiday without work!" Brennan could hear that Angela was smiling. Angela was glad that her best friend seemed to be happy finally again.

"How is it going at the institute? Everything ok?" asked Brennan who was diverted from exploring the area by the word 'work'. She stayed on the footbridge and looked out on the water.

Angela sighed. "Well, we got a new case today which makes us causes more questions than answers."

"What? Ok, Ange, I'm coming back as soon as possible!...I just have to.."

"Stop, Stop Brennan, stay ! It was only a joke!" Angela couldn't refrain from laughing. "Everything's in the green area over here."

"Angela!" Brennan was indignant. „Don't confuse me as well!"

Angela hesitated. "Me as well? Who's confusing you honey?" she wanted to know impishly.

Brennan could already see Angela with her grin in front of her. "I don't know…I'm not sure."

"Sweety, spit it out!" Now she became really curious. „What's wrong? "

Brennan looked on the ground sheepishly, although Angela wasn't able to see her. "Booth came over this morning and …well, I don't know what that really was."

"What was what?" Angela pushed even more.

"We kind of kidded around." Brennan continued reluctantly.

"Annnddd? That's nothing new between you two."

Brennan took a deep breath. "How it ended is new." She looked over to Russ, who was observing her by now.

"Honey, if I have to pull every word out of your nose…."

"We were suddenly lying on my bed." Brennan sighed.

One Moment Angela said nothing, just grinned. "Wow, finally! And what happened then ??"

Russ gave Temperance a sign that dinner was ready.

"Nothing, it was just weird. Listen, Russ is calling for me. We'll talk tomorrow, alright?"

„Ok, but I want details!" she almost sang it.

Brennan ended the call, went back to the fire and sat down next to Russ.

200 km away Angela was humming while sitting in front of her desk….


	4. Chapter 4 Delusive idyll

**Chapter 4 – Delusive idyll**

Russ handed over the fish he had just caught to Temperance. Both of them were sitting in a small boat in the middle of the lake. The boat was just big enough to bring the fishing equipment and a cooling box with them.

Temperance put the fish in the box and let her legs hung into the water. It was unbelievable that she used to make herself busy during vacations. The last week was so relaxing that she had almost never thought about work. The only thing she couldn't get out of her head was Booth.

"What do you think? Do you want to drive up the mountain tomorrow? You have a good view from a platform 30 km from here." Russ asked when they were paddling back to the shore.

"Sounds good." Temperance replied and helped him pulling the boat to the waterside. Russ set the fire again while Temperance went into the hut to get the pan for the fish. She had hardly opened the door when she could hear something peeping.

"Damn, I left my phone here!" she swore and followed the sound to the living room. She took the pillows from the couch, but found her phone on the table in the end.

"One new message" was shown on the display. She moved a strain of hair that had loosened from the ponytail behind her ear while reading the message. "Call me back. It's urgent! Goodman." _Did they have problems at the __Jeffersonian? _

Dr. Goodman had never called her personally or sent her a message. Especially not when she was on holiday. Temperance sat down on the couch and entered Goodman's number.

"Dr. Goodman" he answered the call after the first ring, as if he had been waiting for it.

"It's Dr. Brennan. You have left me a message."

"Dr. Brennan!" he sounded relieved. "I'm sorry to disturb you, but there were some developments here that do not allow a longer delay."

Temperance tried to hide her upcoming disappointment about the announced earlier end of her vacation. "What happened?"

"A few days ago several mass graves were found in Thailand. The UNO requested some forensics experts, including you, to take care of it, because several Americans and Europeans vanished in that area some weeks ago."

Temperance was surprised. _The UNO was asking for me?_ She travelled to other countries a lot to help identifying human remains, but usually she did this voluntarily and wasn't asked to do it.

"Did these people have something in common?"

She could hear the rustling sound of paper, when Goodman was going through the file. "Not really. They all came from different population groups. Black, white, Latin American,….just tourists, one journalist, two lawyers, one known drug smuggler, one doctor, two teachers, one cop…..the reports for missing people are very extensive….I am sorry, Dr. Brennan, but I am called every 15 minutes now and asked if I could reach you."

"I understand. I'm coming back as soon as possible." She said resigned. Thoughtfully she hang up. Russ and her had bonded again slowly this week and it was almost like it used to be. But now it was of all things it was her work that interrupted it…

Brennan arrived in Washington the same evening. Russ had been disappointed that their vacation ended so abruptly. They had packed quickly and had left. Temperance brought her things to her apartment first, then she drove to the Jeffersonian.

Dr. Goodman had been waiting for her. The others went home long ago. In his office he handed the file, which was thicker than the hard cover edition of Lord of the Rings to her.

"Your flight takes of at 9 am tomorrow. The other forensic experts will meet you in Bangkok, from where a helicopter will bring you to the graves."

Brennan nodded. She was so thrown of her guard that she didn't even remember saying goodbye to Goodman before she left again.

Russ put down his bag in his apartment. As expected the answering machine was blinking. He pressed the play button and started to go through his mail.

"Hi Russ, It's me, Sophie. You seem to be still out of the city with your sister. I don't know anymore when you're coming back. So just call, when you're hearing this. Bye" the voice of a woman Russ had dated just before going on holiday came out of the machine. But the next call wasn't so pleasing.

"Russ, damn it, answer the phone! Listen, I don't care what you're doing right now. We have a problem! When you listen to this, you better have a good explanation why I'm talking to a machine and not to you!" a man shouted into the phone.

Russ' hands started to shake. That definitely didn't sound good. He had already known back then, when he was in prison for car stealing, that you could not make fun with his call mate. But he had never seen Bates this enraged. When he was talking about a problem for both of them, it was really bad. He had tried to get out of this several times before. The last time on the same evening his dad had called Temperance. Russ hesitated another moment, then he took the phone in his hand and dialed Bates' number….


End file.
